Tag Archives: 99problems.org

99problems.org, the news website of The League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF) – an American organization dedicated to empowering “young people nationwide to participate in the democratic process” – has launched a new “online intiative” to educate urban youth about the importance of the 2010 Census. According to a press release, the campaign will feature

a viral video PSA series hosted by DJ Willie Shakes (Core DJs, Star Trak’s Chester French) … [that] will enable each featured interview (sic) to give their own spin on why the 2010 Census is important to them, as well as the neighborhoods they reside in and come from, in order to reach young voters in an organic and impactful way on such a meaningful issue.

Regardless of the quality of the mixtape or the ‘viral’ PSA, it’s great to see an organization try to raise the profile of the census among young people. The census is massively important because it informs public policy and spending at all levels of government. Indeed, since government spending is often allocated on the basis of population, it is absolutely critical that policy makers have an accurate understanding of the population and demographics of a given community or neighbourhood. Inaccurate census results can jeopardize funding for social programs, education and other government services. As the LYVEF press release notes:

“The Census is so important. It decides how trillions of dollars will be spent in our community … Every 10 years young people don’t get counted because they don’t understand how important this process is. We are going make sure this doesn’t happen. We are going to meet young people where they are at, and make sure they understand how important this process is to their future.”